This invention relates generally to improvements in the art of log splitting and more particularly, relates to an improved hydraulic log splitter.
The manual activity of log splitting is increasingly giving way to mechanical devices which have been devised for forcing a wedge into a log and separating it into two or more segments. Hydraulic actuation of these devices is frequently used because of its simpliticy and tremendous mechanical advantage. Hydraulic pressure may be created by a small internal combustion engine or pump which is mounted directly upon the log splitter or the device may be connected to an external source of hydraulic pressure such as that available on the power take-offs of most farm and garden tractors.
In the past, hydraulic log splitters have generally been provided with a drive cylinder mounted colinearly with a ram which carries a wedge that is driven into the log by the action of the hydraulic cylinder. This arrangement insures that the length of the device will approach or exceed three times the stroke of the ram. This produces a log splitting device which is rather long and cumbersome and effectively increases the moment arms through which many of the forces generated by the log splitter act upon. Consequently, longer lengths and heavier gauges of material must be used to construct the device. Furthermore, such an arrangement makes it difficult if not impossible to employ a double acting wedge which is capable of splitting in either direction. With this type of prior art hydraulic log splitter, the wedge must be reciprocated to an initial position disposed on one end of the splitter before another log can be placed in the splitter. This effectively doubles the length of time required to split a single log.
Double acting hydraulic log splitters with drive cylinders mounted below the table upon which the log is received are found in the prior art. However, in each case, these prior art devices are either complex, high production devices and/or include cylinders and frames formed from nonstandard elements which still further increase their cost and complexity.